Pork Tenderloin with Goat Cheese-Stuffed Dates and Raspberry Chipotle Sauce

As Seen on WIBW 13 News This Morning, Dec. 13, 2012
Chef Alli's PORKTASTIC Holiday Giveaway Sweepstakes Segment

Recipe from www.PorkBeInspired.com

Prep Time: 15 minutes prep, Cook Time: 45 minutes cook

3 oz (about 1/3 cup) rindless goat cheese, at room temperature
16 pitted dates, split lengthwise (but not cut in half)
2 1-pound pork tenderloin, rinsed and patted dry, silverskin and fat trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons mesquite seasoning

Sauce: 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup shallots, finely chopped
3/4 cup tawny port
1 cup raspberry chipotle sauce

Cooking Directions:

Tenderloin:
Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Place goat cheese in a sandwich bag, press into the corner and snip off the end to make a piping bag. Pipe cheese into the dates. Cut each tenderloin lengthwise, almost, but not quite through. Stuff each tenderloin with filled dates and secure with crosswise loops of butcher’s twine. Brush tenderloins with the oil and season evenly with sweet mesquite seasoning.

Bake 15 minutes. Flip tenderloins and continue baking until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 145 degree F, about 20 to 30 minutes more. Remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes.

Sauce:

While the tenderloins are roasting, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Add port and bring to a boil. Boil until the liquid is syrupy, about 5 minutes. Add raspberry chipotle sauce and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and keep warm.

To Serve:

Remove butcher’s twine and carve each tenderloin crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Spoon equal amounts of the sauce onto 6 dinner plates, divide pork evenly, and serve.

Serves 6

Black-Eyed Pea Skillet with Kielbasa and Spinach

½ lb. fully cooked kielbasa, cut into ½ inch thick pieces

1 onion, diced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

2 Tbs. tomato paste

2 Tbs. red wine vinegar

1 Tbs. dark brown sugar

2 tsp. spicy brown mustard

1 bay leaf

2  - 15 oz. cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 ½ cups fresh baby spinach leaves

Steamed brown rice, for serving

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat; spray with nonstick spray, then brown off kielbasa pieces on both sides, approx. 3-4 minutes per side.  Remove from skillet and reserve to keep warm.  Add onion to skillet and season with salt and pepper, cooking until onion is softened and translucent about 5-6 minutes; add garlic and thyme and cook for 30 minutes, just until garlic is fragrant.  Stir in tomato paste and cook until tomato paste begins to brown, 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add 1 cup water, vinegar, sugar, mustard, bay leaf, and black-eyed peas.  Return kielbasa to pan; reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook until sauce is slightly thickened, approx. 10-12 minutes.  Stir in spinach and cook just until wilted.  Remove and discard bay leaf.  Serve over bowls of warm brown rice.  

Now You're Cookin',

Chef Alli

Coconut-Crusted Pork Tenderloin Lollipops

Recipe from www.PorkBeInspired.com

Prep Time: 15 minutes prep, Cook Time: 25 minutes cook

1 pork tenderloin, (about 1 pound)
1 cup sweetened coconut, shredded
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Apricot jam
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, grated
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt
ground black pepper
12  6-inch wooden skewers

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread coconut on baking sheet. Place in heated oven and bake for 6-8 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring halfway through baking.

Meanwhile, place honey, jam, ginger and garlic in blender container. Cover and blend until well mixed.

Rub tenderloin with oil; season with salt and pepper. Prepare a medium-hot fire in covered grill. Grill tenderloin, over direct heat for 5 minutes or just until entire surface is brown, turning occasionally. Adjust grill to indirect heat; generously brush entire tenderloin with honey-apricot mixture. Cover and grill over indirect heat for 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F., brushing generously with additional honey-apricot mixture halfway through grilling. Transfer pork to cutting board. Loosely cover with foil; let rest for 10 minutes.

Brush tenderloin again with honey-apricot mixture. Coat tenderloin in coconut, firmly pressing coconut on pork. Skewer with lollipop sticks or bamboo skewers, from the top straight through to the bottom, at 1/2-inch intervals. Slice between sticks into lollipop-shaped pieces. Pat edges of “lollipops” with remaining coconut, if necessary.

Makes 6 appetizer servings.  

Recipe courtesy of Bob Blumer, The Surreal Gourmet

Nutrition:   Calories: 251 calories, Protein: 17 grams, Fat: 9 grams, Sodium: 180 milligrams    cholesterol: 50 milligrams   Saturated Fat: 6 grams, Carbohydrates: 28 grams

Happy New Year!

Now You're Cookin',

Chef Alli

Snow Crab Risotto

Snow Crab Risotto

From Hy-Vee Seasons Holiday 2012 Issue

Prep time:  25 minutes                Cook time:  35 minutes

4 ½ cups chicken stock, divided use

2 Tbs. olive oil

3 Tbs. chopped shallots

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 cups uncooked Arborio rice

1 cup white wine

1 tsp. sea or kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh basil

1 cup 1/8-inch-thick-sliced portabella mushrooms

½ cup Hy-Vee Italian stewed tomatoes, chopped

1 ½ cup snow crab, cooked, shelled and chopped

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided use

½ cup finely chopped Italian parsley

1.      Pour chicken stock in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer; cover and set aside.

2.     Heat olive oil in a medium-sized heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic; sauté 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.     Add rice and stir to coat with oil. Cook until the rice becomes slightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and stir until wine is evaporated. Add 1 cup hot stock, salt and black pepper to rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until stock is absorbed. Add another cup of stock, stirring constantly until absorbed.

4.     Add basil, mushrooms, tomatoes and 2 cups stock. Stir slowly until stock is absorbed. Add the crab and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Rice will be done when cooked on the outside with a slight “crunch” in the middle.

5.     Add 1/2 cup stock and remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese and divide evenly among 6 bowls. Garnish each bowl with remaining cheese and parsley. Serve immediately.

Serves 6 – one cup each

Nutrition information per serving: 420 calories, 53 g carbs, 60 mg cholesterol, 2 g dietary fiber, 9 g fat, 25 g protein, 3.5 saturated fat, 1180 mg sodium, 2 g sugar, 0 g trans fats

Spinach Artichoke Fondue with Snow Crab

Recipe adapted from Cuisine at Home, Nov/Dec 2012 Issue

2 cups shredded fontina cheese

½ cup shredded Asiago

1 Tbs. cornstarch

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

5 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ - 1 tsp. red pepper flakes

½ tsp. anchovy paste

¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

 ½ cup white wine

½ cup chicken broth

4 oz. cream cheese, softened and cubed

½ cup chopped artichoke bottoms, drained well

1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup cooked snow crab

Toss fontina and asiago cheese together with cornstarch.  Melt butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat; add spinach, garlic, red pepper flakes, anchovy paste, and nutmeg; cook until garlic softens, about 1 minute.  Add wine and broth; bring to a simmer.  Whisk in cheese mixture, a handful at a time, letting each handful melt fully before adding more.  Whisk in cream cheese cubes and stir until cubes melt.  Stir in artichokes, lemon juice and crab; season to taste with salt and pepper, then transfer to a warm fondue pot and serve with assorted breads, vegetables, sliced apples, pretzels, and crackers.  Makes approx. 3 cups.

Now You're Cookin',

Chef Alli

White Trash Party Mix

3 cups toasted oat cereal

3 cups toasted rice squares cereal

3 cups toasted corn squares cereal

3  cups popcorn

16 oz. M & M’s peanut butter candy 

2 cups salted peanuts

2 cups pretzel sticks or small pretzels

2 – 11 oz. pkgs. Ghirardelli white chocolate chips (may substitute Almond bark)

In a very large bowl, combine cereals, candy, nuts and pretzels.  Meanwhile melt white chocolate in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring each time, until chocolate is slowly melted, taking care not to burn chocolate.  Pour melted chocolate over mixed ingredients in bowl and gently toss to coat everything.  Spread out over large parchment or foil sheets to let this mixture set up, then break into mouth-size pieces.  Store in zip lock bags or sealed containers. 

Now You’re Cookin’,

Chef Alli

Autumn Sangria

The amount of ginger ale you use is up to you, depending on how strong you want the drinks.  I generally buy six pack cans or bottles and use as needed, so any leftover will store without going flat.

1 cup sugar

1 cup water
½ vanilla bean
2 whole star anise
½ teaspoon whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 (7-ounce) packages mixed dried fruit
2 (750 ml) bottles red wine
Ginger ale

In a medium saucepan, bring the sugar and the water to a boil.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Remove from the heat, drop in the vanilla bean, star anise, cloves and cinnamon sticks.  Cover and leave to infuse and cool.  When cool, pour the syrup and the spices into a jar, cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to use.  The spiced syrup will keep for a week.

The night before you want to serve your sangria, put the dried fruit into a large pitcher and pour over the wine.  Cover the pitcher with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Up to four hours before serving the sangria, strain the spices from the syrup and stir the spiced syrup into the fruit and wine. 

Serve over lots of ice in tall glasses, topped with ginger ale.  I’d say about 2/3 sangria mixture to 1/3 ginger ale.  You can add ginger ale to the pitcher, but if it is not large enough, mix the drinks in glasses as you serve.  Drop a few pieces of the dried fruit in each glass to garnish.

Easily serves 12, but will stretch to serve more

Now You're Cookin',

Chef Alli

Cranberry Apple Pork Tenderloin with Quinoa

1 tsp. grapeseed or canola oil

1 pork tenderloin, approx. 1 lb., seasoned to taste with salt and pepper

Cranberry apple chutney, recipe follow below

2 cups cooked quinoa, cooking directions follow

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil until sizzling, then add tenderloin and brown off on all sides.  Remove from skillet and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Roast tenderloin, uncovered, in oven for approx. 15-20 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees at the center.  Cover tenderloin and let rest for 10-15 minutes before carving into medallions.

Cranberry Apple Chutney

2 lbs. honey crisp apples (3-4 large), peeled and cored, cut into 1-inch chunks
¼ cup splenda or sugar
2 Tbs. maple syrup
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 ½ tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Place apples in a large sauce pan with ¼ cup water, sugar, syrup, cinnamon, salt and cranberries; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low; cover pan and cook for 15-20 minutes or until apples are tender and sauce is thickened.  Uncover pot and mash mixture just until pulpy; stir in lemon juice.

Quinoa

1 cup water
½ cup orange juice
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well

Bring water and orange juice to a boil in a large saucepan. Add quinoa, bring back to a boil and cover, cooking over medium heat for 12-15 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed all the liquid.  Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, cover and let stand for 15 minutes. 

Now You're Cookin',

Chef Alli

Simply Saucy Bacon-Wrapped Pork Loin

Recipe from www.Porkbeinspired.com

Prep Time: 20 minutes prep, Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes cook

4 pound boneless center-cut pork loin roast, (untied), fat and silver skin trimmed
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 to 9 slices bacon
1 cup barbecue sauce, purchased

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer to plate and cool for 10 minutes.
3. Wrap bacon slices vertically around pork roast; do not overlap bacon. Tie lengthwise and crosswise with kitchen string to hold bacon in place; tuck loose ends of bacon under string. Place on a rack in a roasting pan, tucked-bacon side down.
4. Roast on rack for 15 minutes. Turn pork over and reduce temperature to 350ºF and roast for 15 minutes. Remove rack and return pork to pan, tucked-end side up. Roast, turning occasionally until bacon is browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the roast reads 145ºF, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes.
5. Skim fat from pan juices, leaving browned juices in pan.
6. Add barbecue sauce and preferred ingredient (*see below) and bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring to loosen browned bits in pan; simmer 2 minutes.
7. Remove strings, carve pork, and serve with sauce.

Serves 10 6-oz portions

*Preferred Ingredient

• Savory: Whisk 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard into the sauce.

• Spicy: Stir in 2 tablespoons pickled jalapenos chilies (nacho slices), drained and finely chopped, into the sauce.

• Fruity: Stir one 8.25-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained, into the sauce.

• Smoky: Stir in 1 or 2 minced canned chipotle chilies in adobo into the sauce.

Now You're Cookin',

Chef Alli

Crown Roast of Pork: Tips for Choosing and Roasting

Crown Roast of Pork is truly one of the most magnificent of all holiday entrees, an absolute show-stopper for your family dinner.  Not only is it elegant, it's EASY to prepare and serve as long as you've got a little savvy know-how:

Choosing and Roasting a Crown Roast of Pork (CROP):

1.  Place your Order Ahead of Time for This Specialty Roast.
Make a visit to your butcher and specifically tell him that you want a CROP created from two complete rib racks, chine bones removed, bones 1 through 8 of each rack frenched, then both racks tied together to form a perfect, round crown.  You will then have 16 ribs, enabling you to serve 16 guests a beautiful piece of pork loin.

2.  Lose the Chill and Don't Forget the Beauty Rest.
When you are ready to prepare your CROP, be sure to remove it from refrigeration about an hour ahead of when you want it to go into the oven.  A full CROP typically weighs about 12 lbs., so it's a BIG hunk of meat.  Letting it set for that hour or so will allow the meat to lose it's chill and this beauty rest ensures that your CROP will cook not only a little quicker, but much more evenly as well. 

3.  Find a Seasoning Assistant.
When seasoning your CROP, it works best if you've got an extra set of hands available to help you with this process.  Place the crown on it's side on a large sheet of foil.  As one person holds and turns the roast, the other can work to get the seasonings down into all the crooks and crannies of the CROP to ensure even application and flavor. 

4.  Roast like a Pro.
Position the oven rack into the lower third of the oven, leaving about 2-3 inches of headspace between the CROP and the broiler element.  I like to crank my oven up to about 450 degrees F., place my CROP onto the rack and then turn my oven back down to 350 degrees - this really gets things cookin'!

5.  Use that Instant-Read Meat Thermometer!
After about 2 hours into the roasting process, begin taking the internal temperature of the CROP, checking in several places to be sure the meat is up to temperature throughout.  Insert the probe of the instant-read thermometer into the eye of the meat between the bones at the interior, checking for an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.  (about 18 minutes per lb.)  When this area registers 145 degrees F, continue to roast the CROP an additional 20-25 minutes longer, then remove from the oven.

6.  CROP Carving
After removing the CROP from the oven, use two large spatulas to transfer to a large cutting board; tent CROP with foil and give an additional 20 minutes beauty rest. To carve, clip and discard the kitchen twin that holds the CROP in the crown shape, then slice down between the bones.  Serve with a drizzle of sauce over the top along side your favorite holiday side dishes. 

See?  It's easy and elegant - just like I promised!

Here's the recipe jlink for the Italian-Herbed Crown Roast of Pork that I presented on WIBW 13 News This Morning today:
http://chefallis.blogspot.com/2012/11/italian-herbed-crown-roast-of-pork.html

Now You're Cookin',
Chef Alli

Bacon-Pork Chops with BBQ Glaze

Bacon-Pork Chops with BBQ Glaze

Recipe from PorkBeInspired.com

Prep Time: 5 minutes prep, Cook Time: 20 minutes cook

4 6-ounce boneless top loin pork chops, cut 1-inch thick
1 teaspoon coarse salt
4 slices bacon, preferably maple-flavored
4 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1/2 cup lager beer, (or non-alcoholic beer)
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 cup chicken broth, reduced-sodium

Cooking Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Season pork with salt. Wrap bacon around the edges of the pork and secure with a wooden toothpick. Mix together barbecue sauce and beer.

Heat oil in ovenproof large skillet over medium-high heat. Stand chops bacon side down in skillet, leaning against the side of pan if needed. Using tongs, in sequence, turn and stand chops along bacon-wrapped edges to lightly brown bacon, about 3 1/2 minutes (allow about 45 seconds to brown each section). Place chops, wide flat side down, in skillet and cook until underside is lightly browned, about 1 minute. Turn chops over. Spread equal amount of barbecue sauce mixture over top of each chop, letting excess run into skillet.

Place skillet with chops in oven and bake for 10 minutes. Transfer each chop to a dinner plate and let stand while making sauce.

Meanwhile, pour out fat from skillet, leaving browned bits in skillet. Heat skillet over high heat until hot. Add broth and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits with wooden spoon, and boil until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Top each chop with a spoonful of sauce and serve hot.

Makes 4 servings

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with roasted potato wedges or smashed sweet potatoes.

Nutrition per serving of pork and glaze.

Nutrition:

Calories: 350 calories
Protein: 51 grams
Fat: 11 grams
Sodium: 1120 milligrams
Cholesterol: 130 milligrams
Saturated Fat: 3 grams
Carbohydrates: 7 grams